2017 5 oz Silver ATB - Ellis Island

2017 5 oz Silver ATB - Ellis Island - Ellis Island National Monument, New Jersey, saw 12 million immigrants seeking new opportunities in America from 1892 to 1954. This coin is the fourth release of 2017 in the U.S. Mint's popular 5 oz Silver bullion America the Beautiful series. This coin commemorates Ellis Island National Monument in New Jersey. These coins are sought after by investors for their .999 fine Silver content, and demanded by collectors for their artistic value.

Ellis Island was the first stop in America for the 12 million immigrants processed through the island’s facility, and for most it was truly an “Island of Hope”. It was the busiest immigrant inspection site in America for over 60 years. So great was the wave of immigration during this time, 40% of Americans can trace their ancestry to Ellis Island today. The average inspection process took 3 to 7 hours, but sadly for some, the island also became known as an “Island of Tears”. By the 1950s, immigration laws began to evolve and it became easier for embassies overseas to handle outgoing residents and visas. In 1954, Ellis Island closed.

In the 1990s, thanks to the construction from the New York subway system, the park was able to expand from 3.3 to 27.5 acres and reopened with an Ellis Island museum. Long considered part of New York state, in 1998 a United States Supreme Court decision found that most of the island is in New Jersey. Today the park is part of New Jersey and is situated adjacent to the Statue of Liberty National Monument on the New York side of the harbor.

Designed by Barbara Fox and engraved by Phebe Hemphill, the Ellis Island coin captures the hopes and aspirations of an immigrant family arriving in search of a new life and the American dream.